Gray Minds
by Chaos Is My Game
Summary: A kit with the forbidden name of 'gray' is born. Strange internal struggles, as well external ones as the story progresses, cloud her true path. Things just get worse when the mysterious disappearances start.
1. Prologue

**Because I am random… And I like Warriors.**

ThunderClan

Leader: Goldenstar: White she-cat with gray speckles on her back

Deputy: Tawnystreak: Golden brown tom

Medicine Cat: Larksky: Cream-colored tom

Medicine Cat Apprentice: Hazelpaw: Wiry buff-colored she-cat

Warriors:

Gorsepelt: Ginger she-cat

Twistedfire: Ginger tom with white paws

Mistywind: Ginger tabby she-cat

Rainspot: Light gray she-cat with a darker gray splotch on her back

Feralheart: White tom

Silentflight: Black and white tom

Shystep: Gray and white tom

Mudfoot: Sable she-cat with chocolate paws

Deadlily: Sable she-cat

Spiderpelt: Black tom

Queens:

Sleekfur: Wiry black queen. Mother to:

Graykit: Gray tabby she-kit

Quickfoot: White queen. Mother to:

Mosskit: White tom

Skykit: White tom with brown paws

Apprentices:

Scarletpaw: Bright ginger tom with a white forepaw. Mentor: Shystep

Sandpaw: Sand-colored she-cat. Mentor: Tawnystreak

Lightpaw: Gray tom with a white forepaw. Mentor: Mudfoot

Stonepaw: Light gray tom. Mentor: Silentflight

Elder:

Dappledpelt: White she-cat with gray and black speckles on her back

Tinyleaf: Ginger tabby tom

.xXx.

_"So you want to hear a story, young kits?" Dappledpelt asked, voice cracking with age. Skykit and Mosskit nodded multiple times. The old she-cat looked thoughtful and silence reigned for a few moments. Tinyleaf, being a very new elder, could not say much._

"_Ah… That tale will work well," Dappledpelt nodded. The kits leaned in eagerly. "Have you noticed how no names have the word 'gray' in them, despite the numerous gray cats?" Mosskit looked puzzled for a moment, but his face lit up and he nodded._

"_That is because of a certain she-cat that lived many seasons ago."_

"_Before the great Firestar?" Skykit squeaked._

_Dappledpelt gave a laugh. "No, not that long ago. It was a long time ago, though. Seasons before your great grandparents were born! Now, this she-cat was called Graystream. She was named after an event in history that was life-changing to the great Firestar."_

"_The tale of Graystripe and Silverstream!" Mosskit cried triumphantly._

"_Yes, yes. That's the one," Dappledpelt smiled, "Anyway, Graystream was a strange she-cat. I won't say evil, but she did hunger for power. A lot of power. Her plans were intricately detailed and thought out, down to the last outcome. With them, she tried to take over the Lake…" _

_The elderly she-cat trailed off, which prompted Skykit to speak. "What happened?"_

_Heaving a sigh, Dappledpelt continued. "She succeeded. What happened next was terrible. Cats were being killed left and right. It was a regular blood bath… Finally, a ginger tom put an end to it, and killed her. He disappeared soon afterward. His last words before he left were so:_

"'_She has lived a red herring's life. If ever she appears again, forgive her.'"_

_Before the kits even had time to ponder what that meant, a she-cat's wail rang through the stone camp. "Sleekfur's kits! They're coming!"_

_.xXx._

_Sleekfur ended up naming her kit Graykit, much to the appalled surprise of her Clan mates._

A/N

**This story is moderately based on Teaching Darkness, just so you know. It doesn't have, like… TD plot or anything. Just a bit of an idea because of his head, only…**

**I don't own Warriors.**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N**

**Blaze- Thanks! ^-^**

**Anywho, the allegiances last chapter change up a bit this chapter. Mosskit and Skykit are now apprentices of seven moons, mentored by Gorsepelt and Spiderpelt, respectively. It's been about four moons.**

**Yay…**

.xXx.

The sun beat down onto the ThunderClan camp. Despite this, the Greenleaf air was just the right temperature. Cats bustled around the camp, some forming patrols, others sharing tongues. Graykit was jumping around the eldest apprentices, Scarletpaw and Lightpaw.

"Did you hear about the rabbit as big as a badger?" Graykit said excitedly.

Scarletpaw laughed. "I don't think rabbits get that big."

Lightpaw snorted. "They don't."

"Oh…" Graykit looked crestfallen. Her ears twitched once and then she was off again, dashing toward Larksky's den. Neither of the medicine related cats were in their den, and the tabby she-kit took it upon herself to explore. There were so many different smells… Graykit found one that made her drowsy, and wondered what would happen if she ate them. Her little pink tongue slipped out of her mouth as she prepared to lap up the tiny black seeds.

"Graykit, what are you doing?"

The addressed kit spun around, fur fluffing out. Hazelpaw stood behind her, glaring. "You can't eat those! We need them!"

Graykit's ears flattened back. "I was just-"

"You were just leaving!" Hazelpaw growled. Graykit wanted to protest, but the kit didn't stand a chance against Hazelpaw. She stalked away hissing to the nursery. Sleekfur noticed her bad mood immediately. The she-cat blinked curiously through the darkness of the nursery.

Sleekfur opened her mouth to speak. "So why are you acting like a fox in a fit?"

The kit let out an annoyed growl, lips peeling back in a snarl. "Hazelpaw yelled at me for trying to eat some little seeds!" Her mother seemed unconcerned, sitting up to groom her pelt.

"They were black right? If they were, they were poppy seeds. They would have made you fall asleep."

Realization came to Graykit, so she bowed her head and sulked. Her whiskers drooped and her shoulders sagged, trying to make Sleekfur feel sorry for her. When that didn't work (and we all know it didn't), Graykit left the nursery. Her paws slapped against the stone ground in an angry manner. She lie down, head on her paws and eyes closed.

It wasn't long before the pleasant warmth and peaceful chatting lulled Graykit to sleep…

.xXx.

When Graykit opened her golden eyes, it was dark. Not night dark, but a strange gray dark, as if thick clouds had covered the sun. Fog clung to the ground, weaving and whispering past her ears. Nothing had any color, even though she was in camp. It was all various shades of gray. When the she-kit looked up, she didn't see sky, but more gray clouds. All was silent, except for her rapidly quickening breath.

After taking this in, Graykit started to panic. What had happened to her camp? It couldn't actually be like this! She turned around, listened, checked in every den except one…

There were no other cats. As Graykit rushed to check the last den, a strange feeling slowed her. It was pure instinct, dread at its strongest, growing in her belly. Blood roared in the tabby kit's ears and each step felt heavy. Her breathing grew to an irregular pace, her heart beating erratically.

She climbed toward Goldenstar's den slowly. Graykit found herself right outside the entrance of the den, just about to peek in. Instinct both slowed her and screamed at her to run, but she couldn't. Graykit took another sharp breath, and looked into the den. Piercing, unforgiving yellow eyes stared at her from the dark recesses of the leader's den.

Graykit started, jumping backwards and fluffing out her fur. A hiss slipped out of her mouth. There was another gray tabby she-cat in that den, who looked just like Graykit! The only differences were that the shade of yellow of the eyes was drastically different, and the strange she-cat was older. Graykit recovered and cautiously stepped forward, peering into the den.

A chuckle escaped the strange cat. "Come here, kit," She smacked the ground next to her with her tail. Graykit shook her head. The other seemed mildly surprised. "Oh? Why not?"

"Sleekfur told me not to talk to strange cats."

The strange cat had a sly look now. "I thought you thought she was an uncaring mother, and not usually worth listening to?" Graykit's face twisted up.

'_How did she know that?' _

The older gray tabby scoffed. "How could I not, Graykit?"

Graykit jumped uneasily. "How do you know my name?" Her voice wavered slightly.

"How do you _not_ know mine?" Countered the other. Bewildered, Graykit shook her head. "Don't you ever hear the elders talking about me? My tale was told right before you were born." Another head shake.

The strange cat sighed.

"Fine. I'm Graystream."

A/N

**What? You shoulda guessed Graystream was gonna be here.**


	3. Chapter 2

It was totally silent for a few moments. Then Graykit tilted her head curiously. "Who?"

Graystream rolled her eyes and snorted. "Honestly, what are elders good for if they don't tell kits stories? Ask Dappledpelt if you want to know who I am!"

"But…" Graykit was confused, as well as suspicious, "I don't know how to get out of this place…"

"Well! I won't tell you!" Graystream stuck up her nose. Graykit made a face and backed away, wisely deciding not to turn around until she was out of the other's sight. She wandered back to the place she had woken up and lied down. Oddly enough, when she put herself in the same position she had fallen asleep, she felt drowsy.

The tabby kit let herself fall asleep.

.xXx.

Graykit's eyes fluttered open, only to squint them closed again. It was so bright and full of color! A paw prodded her side. "Get up, sleepy fur-ball!" Stonepaw's voice accompanied another poke. "You can't just fall asleep out here!" Graykit opened her eyes a slit, and saw Stonepaw.

'Oh, thank StarClan…' Graykit was back in ThunderClan's normal, rocky camp. She bounced up and smiled broadly at Stonepaw. He grinned back. "Hey Stonepaw, you fox-hearted cat! You woke me up and stole my sleep!" Graykit batted at his legs in a moderately angry manner.

Stonepaw laughed and smacked her back with the flick of a paw. Graykit stumbled and fell on her rear with a grunt. "Now that's no fair, Stonepaw!" A voice behind Graykit said teasingly. Graykit turned her head and saw Scarletpaw standing there. Lightpaw followed closely behind his brother, though her didn't say anything. He looked as cranky as ever.

Stonepaw merely rolled his eyes. "Surely you didn't come over to tell us that!"

"Hey! I can save my little Graykit!" Scarletpaw said defensively, but then smirked, "You're right though. It turns out Lightpaw and my warriors' ceremonies are at dusk!"

"Really?" Graykit stared in awe at the bright ginger tom.

Scarletpaw flicked her nose with his tail. "Yes, really! Why would I lie about that?"

"I don't know! Maybe because I'm not even an apprentice yet," Graykit shrugged and pounced at his tail. When she failed to get his tail, she glanced at the sky. It was past sunhigh, but there was still plenty of time for a story from Dappledpelt. "Bye!" She waved her tail and bounded off to the elders' cave.

When Graykit stepped in, she was immediately greeted by a hoarse voice. "Oh, hello, Graykit," Dappledpelt spoke.

"Yes, hello," Tinyleaf echoed. "Why did you come here?"

Dappledpelt nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. A little kit like you should be playing outside, not with us."

"Well…" Graykit didn't think it would be smart to tell them her dream, so she had to think fast. "I heard Mosspaw and Skypaw talking about a cat named Graystream. Do you know who that is?"

Dappledpelt nodded. "Yes, I do. Funny that those two are still talking about her, though. Do you want to hear?" At Graykit's eager nod, the elderly she-cat told the tale of Graystream, from the origin of her name to her death.

.xXx.

Graykit walked out of the elders' den, tossing a weak thank you over her shoulder. She was more frightened than a startled rabbit. An evil cat was in her dreams! Graystream couldn't have been from StarClan, talking to her through her dreams to warn her. No, that was not possible.

Most of the tabby she-kit was scared, but some of her was strangely thrilled. Could she have been destined? Destined for glory, or for something equally wonderful?

Wrapped up in her thoughts, Graykit failed to notice Goldenstar walking out to Highledge, or the sinking sun. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here under Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

Instantaneously, cats gathered in the clearing. Scarletpaw looked proud, and even Lightpaw smiled slightly. They both knew what was coming. "It is time to welcome two new warriors to ThunderClan," Goldenstar started, "Lightpaw! Step forth." He did.

"I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Lightpaw, do you promise to follow the warrior code and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Lightpaw shivered. "I do."

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Lightpaw, from this day and on you will be known as Lightleg. ThunderClan welcomes you as a full warrior."

There was a burst of cheers. Most were yells of his new name, and others were congratulations.

Goldenstar waved her tail for silence as Lightleg licked her shoulder and then slinked back into the crowd. "Scarletpaw." The ginger tom stepped forward.

"I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has worked hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in turn. Scarletpaw, do you promise to defend you clan and follow the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?"

Scarletpaw's whiskers twitched. "I do, indeed."

"So, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this day forth, you will be known as Scarletquake."

There was another flurry of excitement as the motions were performed. "Scarletquake!" Graykit cried loudly. Twistedfire also looked proud, but that was to be expected. They were his sons, after all.

After everything had calmed down, it was dark. The moon was out, and nearly full. Graykit was the last to retreat to her den, leaving the two new warriors to guard the camp in silence.

**A/N**

**I was originally going to kill Dappledpelt in this chapter… I didn't though. Sorry for the longevity of the ceremonies.**


	4. Chapter 3

A/N

**Time skip time. :P A little under two moons, and for those who weren't keeping track, that leaves Graykit at six moons.**

.xXx.

Graykit sighed and put her head in her paws as Sleekfur groomed her. Two moons had passed like the speed of light after the strange dream. Nothing else even remotely interesting had occurred after the warriors' ceremony. Paws padding on the ground made Graykit lift her head.

"Excited? You'll finally be an apprentice with me and Sandpaw today!" Stonepaw grinned.

Graykit sat up, making Sleekfur grumble about disrespect. She rolled her eyes and let the usual smile she had when dealing with Stonepaw flow onto her face. "Oh please… I'd love my apprenticeship if it were only Sandpaw!"

Stonepaw feigned hurt and staggered. "Your words pierce my heart like claws, Graykit!" The gray tom managed to get a fat tear to roll out of his eye. Graykit laughed, stood up, and walked away.

"Stupid fur-ball!" She muttered good-naturedly as she walked by. When Graykit stepped into the full-blown sunlight, she blinked and looked around. The sun was already riding high in the sky, nearing sunhigh. Stonepaw had left the nursery, heading toward his sand-colored sister, Mosspaw, and Skypaw. Mudfoot and Deadlily, two extremely close sisters, were giggling and eyeing the toms.

Last, but not least, Scarletquake was chatting pleasantly with Spiderpelt, Twistedfire, and Gorsepelt. Graykit made her way over to the warriors' little group, a bounce in her step. "Hey, Scarletquake, Gorsepelt, Spiderpelt, and Twistedfire!" The kit chirped happily.

There were mixed greetings, but Scarletquake's was the longest. "Hey, Graykit. How's my favorite soon-to-be apprentice?"

Graykit jumped happily. "Great! Can you believe I'll be an apprentice soon?"

Scarletquake's green eyes shone bright. "I know." He leaned down and licked her forehead, messing up her fur. "But I'm talking now. Could we chat like elders about it later?" He waved his tail to the other warriors, who stared. Graykit felt her ears get hot.

"Yes, okay," Graykit darted away, but, as she wasn't looking where she was going, ran into Feralheart.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" The white tom growled. He glared angrily.

Graykit looked down mumbling, "Sorry Feralheart." She walked away more slowly. The kit had only walked a few tail lengths before she saw Goldenstar.

The gray-speckled she-cat was speaking with her mother. The pair was identical in all but eye color. Goldenstar looked rather confused, but Dappledpelt waved her tail and laughed. The elderly she-cat spoke a few unheard words and nuzzled her kit.

Looking much more content, Goldenstar climbed up Highledge. Graykit perked her ears with interest, but whatever had occurred was over. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting!" The leader yowled.

Graykit was one of the first to gather in the clearing, looking up eagerly. Goldenstar gazed back with warmth in her eyes. It was common knowledge that the speckled leader had wanted kits, and she was very partial to them. As cats gathered in the clearing, she opened her jaws and said this:

"I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this kit. She would like to become a warrior, but must first train as an apprentice. Graykit," Said kit sat up straighter and gawked eagerly, taking a deep breath. "From this day forth, until you have earned you warrior name, you will be known as Graypaw."

Cats looked around for the new apprentice's mentor. Goldenstar paused to create some form of dramatic effect. "Deadlily, you will train Graypaw! Rainspot was your mentor. I hope that her quick wit and sharp mind will pass through you to your new apprentice."

As soon as Deadlily pressed her nose to Graypaw's, there was a flurry of sounds and movement. "Graypaw, Graypaw!" The small crowd roared. Graypaw stood proudly, if not awkwardly, next to her new mentor. Her hackles rose when she felt the prickle of a calculating stare. Turning her head, she saw Scarletquake grinning proudly. '_Nothing there…' _She thought, curious.

Deadlily leaned down a little bit toward Graypaw. "We'll go explore the territory after I talk to Mudfoot. Great StarClan, this is going to be so fun!" With a squeal that might make a newborn kit jealous, Deadlily ran off toward her brown-footed sister. Graypaw blinked. Her ears flicked uneasily as she though about the consequences of having the slightly mouse-brained Deadlily for a mentor.

Heaving a sigh, Graypaw looked toward Sleekfur. The black-furred she-cat gave her a lazy grin from where she stood. Graypaw faked a smile back, more than a little resentful that her mother hadn't come up and congratulated her.

"Congrats, my little Graypaw!" Said apprentice jumped at the new voice. Scarletquake had hung around, and was currently beaming at her very happily. He licked her over the ear.

Graypaw flicked her whiskers slightly. "I'm not very happy about my mentor, though…"

Scarletquake's face darkened for a split second. "Yeah, I hear you," His bright smile, though faded, came back, "Deadlily's got bees in her brain, I swear!" Graypaw and he laughed a little at that before the ginger warrior heard Shystep's call.

"Sc-Scarletquake!" The timid cat called from next to the thorn barrier. Scarletquake's expression quickly filled with realization.

"Sorry, got to go. Hunting patrol!" With another swift lick to Graypaw's ear, Scarletquake ran off to join Shystep, Spiderpelt, and Skypaw. Graypaw watched them leave unhappily. She liked it when Scarletquake came to talk to her.

Stonepaw approached with Sandpaw at his heels. The sand-colored sister spoke, her words blunt. "He likes you." Stonepaw nodded in agreement, eyes sparkling mischievously.

"What do you mean?" Graypaw asked, ears flexing backwards slightly.

Stonepaw's tail swished through the air. "It's really quite simple," He said cheerfully, "Scarletquake would like to pull you behind some bushes and-" Sandpaw smacked her brother with her paw, claws sheathed.

"He means to say," She hissed, glaring at Stonepaw, "Scarletquake has a crush on you."

Graypaw flattened her ears, which had grown mysteriously hot, and shook her head. "No he doesn't. I've known him since I was little. He doesn't _like_ me!"

"Whatever you say…" Stonepaw said, rolling his eyes and ignoring Sandpaw, "But think about this: What other warrior spends so much time with an apprentice?"

Graypaw couldn't really answer that one.

A/N

**And so the romance begins… I just realized what little of importance happens in this chapter. Apprentice ceremony, a bit of characterization, and the crush. So little of importance. I'm glad I got this chapter out, though. It has been killing me with writer's ****laziness, ****a different form of writer's block. **

**It speeds up a bit next chapter…**


	5. Chapter 4

Graypaw reentered the camp with Deadlily, feeling much more knowledgeable about ThunderClan's borders. Her mentor wasn't all that bad… once she had gotten past the fact that Deadlily _never_ stopped talking!

The tabby she-cat mumbled something about her paws dropping off before turning her face to Silverpelt. StarClan's warriors shone brightly as ever, twinkling at her cheerfully. Graypaw sat down and gazed at them, ignoring Deadlily, who immediately went to Mudfoot.

"They're beautiful," Her voice came out in an awed whisper. All traces of a bad mood now gone, Graypaw stared with glazed eyes.

It wasn't until sometime later, when moonhigh had already come and gone, that Graypaw's stomach gave a rumble. It startled her out of her trance, and she realized that every cat had already gone to sleep. An ethereal silence hanged over ThunderClan's camp…

The tabby she-cat made her way over to the sparse freshkill pile, immediately snatching up a mouse. Her teeth sunk into the mouth-watering morsel, releasing its wonderful flavor. Graypaw swallowed the prey in two large, ravenous bites.

Suddenly, something broke the silence that had been blanketing ThunderClan's camp. It sounded like hushed hissing, coming from the medicine cat's den. Graypaw's ears flicked, her head turning toward the source of the noise. Slowly, she stood up and crept toward the medicine cat's cave.

At the mouth of the small cavern, Graypaw peeked inside. Hazelpaw was sitting up, her hackles standing up and her eyes narrowed. The medicine cat apprentice's attention was focused ahead of her, on a cat that was just out of Graypaw's line of sight.

"I can't do this any more! I can't just… let you do things like this!" The buff-colored she-cat growled quietly, a note of distress in her voice. Her eyes darted to Larksky, who lay asleep.

"Well, Hazelpaw, if that's what you've decided… Just know that there will be consequences."

The unseen cat spoke in a voice that made Graypaw's fur crawl. It was a deep voice, unlike any she had heard within her Clan, but it was also strangely familiar.

Ears flattening down, Graypaw turned and ran toward her den without a second thought.

.xXx.

There was an icy chill in the air. Graypaw's fur felt cold and damp, her ears numb. She opened her eyes and saw fog. It was thick and grayish-white, lowering her visibility level to near zero.

Though she could still feel her mossy nest underneath her, Graypaw had the idea that she was no longer in the camp she had fallen asleep in. She stood up rigidly, leering around the apprentice den. The other apprentices were not there, and the only color she could see was gray.

"Where might you be, little Graypaw?" A familiar voice called out in a singsong tone.

'_Graystream!_' Graypaw mentally exclaimed.

Graystream became very visible as she thrust her head into the apprentice den. "Yes?" She asked with a sugar-sweet smile on her face.

The apprentice of the pair gave a startled cry and jumped backwards. Her claws slid out and her hackles rose. "Don't do that!" Graypaw shrieked, heart beating fast.

"Yeah, yeah…" Graystream brushed her off with a flick of her tail, "Could you do me a favor and be less scared? It's already hard enough to understand this place without all the fog."

The smaller tabby shook her head, "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Graystream looked at her disbelievingly for a long moment, in which there was silence. She then burst into loud, hacking gales of laughter.

Feeling a tiny bit indignant, Graypaw hissed. "I don't see what's so funny!"

The older cat calmed down after a few more chuckles. "It's just… you think a cat would know their own mind, right?" Graystream grinned as Graypaw's mouth dropped open.

Graypaw sputtered for a moment, nearly choking on the thick mist around her. "W-what do you mean?"

"Exactly as I said, Graypaw. You're in your own mind," Graystream answered snootily, before turning around to leave the apprentice's den. Her tail swung lazily from side to side. Graystream's next words rang with a sort of importance, as if Graypaw needed to listen to them.

"Don't let fear and confusion cloud your path, little Graypaw. They will make you stumble in the end," Graystream trotted off, disappearing in the fog. If she had turned around, Graypaw might have seen her bitter expression.

Speaking of Graypaw, the apprentice was having difficulty not lunging after this older cat and attempting to claw answers out of her. "Wait!" Cried Graypaw.

There was no answer for a moment; instead there was sigh that seemed much too close to Graypaw for a cat that wasn't in her den. "Go to sleep, little Graypaw," Graystream's voice was full of finality, and Graypaw didn't dare argue.

.xXx.

Her dreams twisted and twirled, becoming incoherent as they blended together.

_A mouse-tail swallows a swallow, flying through forests, glaring at the full moon. Cats writhe and twist, yellow eyes glinting. Yowls split the air, and clouds fade away._

Graypaw woke up with a quiet gasp. Her dreams were already quickly fading, leaving the encounter with Graystream fresh in her mind. There was, quite literally, an evil cat in her mind. If that evil cat was telling the truth, anyway…

But hadn't Graystream given her advice?

The gray tabby stood and shook herself, banishing thoughts of Graystream. She glanced around and noticed, despite how late she had stayed up, that she was the first apprentice awake…

Except for Stonepaw. He was mewling quietly, face contorted in pain. Graypaw darted toward him, narrowly avoiding stepping on Mosspaw. "Stonepaw?" She said softly.

He looked up blearily, and the tabby she-cat felt the heat radiating off of him. Graypaw hissed uneasily. "Can you stand?" She asked. In response, Stonepaw got to his feet slowly. Immediately, he leaned into Graypaw. She helped keep him walking on the long trip to the medicine cat's den.

His light gray fur gleamed oddly in the early morning light. Stonepaw's steps were lumbering, but he wasn't coughing.

'_That is a good thing, right?' _Graypaw mused worriedly as she slipped into the medicine cat's cave. "Larksky!" She called shakily while helping Stonepaw into a nest.


	6. Chapter 5

According to Larksky, Stonepaw was going to be fine. He just had a bad fever…

"It's probably the first of many to come," Hazelpaw hissed, obviously annoyed that Graypaw and Sandpaw insisted on visiting, "With Leaf-fall coming, and everything. Larksky says Stonepaw probably got a little wet on his way back to camp, or something… Mouse brain!"

It was sunhigh, the day Graypaw had brought her ill friend in. Her hackles were rising, and she already wanted to claw Hazelpaw's ears off. The medicine cat apprentice was known for being an ill-tempered furball to her equals and inferiors.

Sandpaw, however, was keeping her cool quite nicely. She glanced toward Hazelpaw and spoke. "I'd appreciate it if you did not insult my brother right under his nose, especially when he's sick," Her voice had a cold edge to it. The medicine cat apprentice snarled, teeth bared.

"I'll speak about him however I like!"

Graypaw's nostrils flared, ears flattening on her skull. Her fur was standing on end. "No you won't! If you keep talking about him like that, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Hazelpaw taunted, "Kill me like your fath-"

She didn't get to finish the sentence as she was leaped upon. Surprisingly enough, it was not Graypaw who lunged (though said cat seemed prepared to), but Sandpaw. Hazelpaw's eyes were wide with surprise as she was pinned down.

"That's enough, Hazelpaw!" The sand-colored apprentice snapped at her. Graypaw shook with suppressed fury, sweeping out of the den quickly. No sooner than she started grumbling and ripping at the ground with her claws did Deadlily appear.

The brown she-cat was oblivious to Graypaw's anger, and immediately started to chatter her ear off.

"Hello, Graypaw! I'm going on a hunting patrol with Scarletquake and Lightleg and since you're my apprentice I figured you should come! I'll probably be able to show you some hunting crouches, and Scarletquake might want to help you! Lightleg will probably just sit there and sneer at you…"

It continued as such until the other members of the hunting party trotted over. Lightleg had his near-permanent scowl plastered on his face. Scarletquake, however, was grinning cheerfully. "We have to get going now, okay Deadlily?" To Graypaw, he added, "Hey, my Graypaw!"

Graypaw's mouth forced itself into a smile, something she couldn't seem to avoid around the white-pawed, ginger cat. "Hi Scarletquake!" She flicked her ears at the ginger warrior.

The patrol pushed their way through the thorn barrier, Deadlily chattering on and on about random things. Scarletquake seemed to naturally lead the group, scenting carefully for prey. It wasn't long before the scent of mouse hit Graypaw's nose.

Deadlily quieted down and whispered, "Now watch Lightleg hunt. Mice feel you, so you'll have to keep your weight on your haunches. Try to copy Lightleg's mouse crouch…"

Lightleg glided across the ground in a perfect mouse stalk, before pouncing on the creature (out of sight) a few fox-lengths away. "Remember to always stay downwind," Deadlily murmured as the gray warrior came back with his mouse. He buried it in the leaves at the base of a tree.

"Every cat fan out and hunt. We'll meet back here when the sun's three fourths of the way through the sky," Scarletquake ordered. The other cats nodded their agreement, and Graypaw immediately darted off.

'_No need to wait for Deadlily…'_ She mused, scenting the air. Graypaw caught a whiff of mouse and squirrel, and dropped into a hunting crouch. The apprentice moved forward stealthily, and found herself nose to nose with a mouse that dashed off rather quickly.

"Oh, that was _all_ wrong!" Graypaw jumped at Stonepaw's sudden voice, head snapping up to the source of the noise. The gray tom sat in a tree, grinning cheerfully. He jumped down, landing right in front of Graypaw. His tail was stuck proudly in the air. "But since I'm the best at everything…" Stonepaw batted his eyes and tucked a paw to his chest, pretending to be a cutesy leader.

Graypaw wasn't in the mood for playful banter, so she merely hissed. "So show me how to do it better!" She dropped into her crouch, and felt Stonepaw's paw tap her tail.

"Put your tail down! You look like a kit with no idea how to do anything…" He tapped her a little bit more, giving tips and evening her out. When at last Stonepaw felt Graypaw was in a perfect crouch, he gave her a nod and a smile. "Now just move forward quickly… One paw in front of the other…"

Graypaw went back to the meeting place with three mice to show for her efforts. It didn't occur to her to wonder why and how Stonepaw was perfectly okay and out of camp.

.xXx.

Lightleg, Scarletquake, and Graypaw had waited until sunset for Deadlily, who still hadn't showed up. The warriors had finally agreed that they'd been waiting too long and the patrol trudged back to camp.

Upon entering the camp, Graypaw set the three mice down on the fresh-kill pile. ThunderClan seemed to be full of sadness, and she looked around, confused. Mudfoot was burrowing her head into something that muffled her wails of distress.

"Well, it looks like we won't have to tell Goldenstar we lost Deadlily…" Lightleg said in an unpleasant manner.

The something that Mudfoot had been burying her head into was, in fact, Deadlily's body. Graypaw's first reaction was paralyzed horror as Scarletquake slipped off to find out what happened.

The tabby she-cat felt sick. Her ears pressed into her skull as she stared at Deadlily's broken corpse in misery. It had been groomed free of blood, but there was a large gash in Deadlily's forehead. There was a sick pang of satisfaction somewhere in the depths of Graypaw's mind. _That_ was what drove her to let out a yowl that was half terrified, half sorrow.

A tongue swiped over her ear in comfort, and a tail draped over hers. She looked, bleary-eyed, to see Stonepaw standing next to her. He whispered softly.

"She was chasing a squirrel, but she forgot about the camp walls. She caught the squirrel though… Same old Deadlily, always reliable, no matter how much she talks…"

Sleep was hard for any cat to come by that night, and when it came to Graypaw, Graystream's laughter seemed to fill her mind.

.xXx.

Mist furled through the ThunderClan camp, intensifying the silvery light that shone with it. The warriors of Silverpelt seemed too close to the ground. There was no moon.

Larksky knew he was dreaming, but there was a mystical, lucid quality to it. He could not turn his head away from the swath of stars in the sky. Not when black clouds started to tumble in, and the rain started to fall, blocking Silverpelt. Not when the ground beneath him started to rumble, crack, and split. Not when the rainstorm and shaking ground stopped and the black clouds were gradually worn to gray.

And not even when he felt the presence of a StarClan warrior behind him could Larksky look away from Silverpelt. The unnamed cat whispered with the verdict of Larksky's starry ancestors.

"_The clouds must fade to gray to quell the twisted quake_."

**A/N**

**I killed someone! Oh no... I feel like a criminal... Actually, I didn't like Deadlily much. You also get a prophecy... Hee hee!**


	7. Chapter 6

It was freezing the next day. The scent of the oncoming rain was thick in the air. No one wanted to do anything, especially Graypaw. She was still feeling mortified and violated. The tabby she-cat was thankful that Skypaw was the apprentice that had to go on the dawn patrol.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here under the Highledge!" Goldenstar yowled over the roar of the wind.

Graypaw flicked her frozen ears, reluctant to leave her mildly warm nest. She felt a tail brush her flank and looked up. Sandpaw stood there.

"You had better get up. '_The leader's word is law,' _after all," The sand-colored cat meowed plainly.

Stonepaw walked past her with a half-smile on his face. "You're such a killjoy, Sandpaw!"

"And how is sitting in a cold nest any form of joy?"

"You have a point," Stonepaw muttered, flicking his sister with his tail. Graypaw gave a weak laugh, stood, and shook the cold from her limbs. She hurried out of the apprentice den, quickly followed by Sandpaw and Stonepaw.

The three were the last ones to gather in the clearing, and they attracted a few stares. Feralheart hissed at them softly. It was just Graypaw's luck that that scary old warrior was sitting outside her den.

Goldenstar stared, but didn't reprimand them. The gray-speckled she-cat's face was grim. "Cats of ThunderClan! I know that with Deadlily's…" Goldenstar's voice dropped for a split second. "…loss means that one of our apprentices is mentor-less. I would like Scarletquake to be Graypaw's new mentor."

There were several uncertain murmurs throughout the Clan, but no cat outright disagreed. Scarletquake was a good, loyal warrior, even if he was a bit young. Graypaw walked toward her older friend. There was an ecstatic shine in his eyes, but the rest of his face remained blank.

The two tapped noses while Graypaw hissed so quietly that no other cat would hear:

"I need to tell you something…"

Scarletquake gave an imperceptible nod. "During our next lesson, okay, my little Graypaw?" She agreed just as Goldenstar started to meow.

"And, as the full moon is supposed to be tonight, I have chosen the cats to go to the gathering if the weather clears _up_!" Her voice rose louder than before as thunder cracked and lightning flashed. Rain started to pound down on the cats in the clearing. "These cats are Twistedfire, Rainspot, Spiderpelt, Mudfoot, Scarletquake, Skypaw, and Graypaw!"

Graypaw scowled angrily, shaking her drenched pelt. '_Of course… The one time I'm chosen for the gathering, there's no chance of going to it…'_

.xXx.

But there was indeed a chance. Before the sun had even begun to set, the storm had cleared up and the clouds were being blown from the sky. With this miraculous change in weather, the cats of ThunderClan prepared to leave for the gathering.

Graypaw stood rigidly at her mentor's side. She didn't move, though her whiskers twitched. Her little chest felt like it was going to explode from the sheer lack of speaking her secrets.

For a moment, Graypaw smelled Graystream's scent. The tabby's head snapped to the side fearfully. Graystream sat next to her, amusement dancing in her eyes. "We need some serious closure, don't we little Graypaw?"

The apprentice looked around, startled that no other cat waiting to leave could see her elder.

Graystream's expression turned to one of distaste. "Great StarClan, you're an idiot. I'm trapped in the mind of an idiot!" Before Graypaw could reply with a hiss, or perhaps tooth and claw, Graystream continued with a chuckle. "I stem from your mind right now. Technically, I'm not even here."

'_What?! Get out of here, now!' _Graypaw thought fiercely, forgetting that she was supposed to be scared for a second. She didn't say anything, for fear that the already concerned looking Scarletquake would think she was crazy.

_That_ made Graystream sober up quickly. Her broad-shouldered form started to fade away. Graypaw shivered. Looking at Graystream was too much like looking at herself in a few moons. '_Will I look like that…?'_

"Alright, alright… I just came out to warn you," The older she-cat glared with contempt at Scarletquake. "Be careful who you tell about _this_…"

It was painfully obvious what she meant.

As her head began to fade, though, she gave a sly smirk. "And yes, you will look like me. My presence in your mind influences your appearance."

Graystream disappeared back into Graypaw's brain, leaving the latter to be broken out of her focused trance by Scarletquake and Rainspot.

"Graypaw, are you okay?" Rainspot asked in a genuinely concerned voice. "If you're not feeling up to the trip to the Island, you can stay in camp…"

Scarletquake nodded, anxiety shining in his eyes. His apprentice shook her head vigorously.

"No, I'm fine Rainspot," Graypaw meowed, and Scarletquake grinned. All of the unease flickered out of his face, making her smile. She barely noted Rainspot's lingering concern.

'_Oh, I don't give a mouse-tail what you think, Graystream. I'm telling Scarletquake!'_ Graypaw mused defiantly, getting over her fears. Graystream wasn't all that scary.

The small group of cats started to move with a flick of their leader's tail. Graypaw would have raced to the front of the group, had she not noticed Skypaw falling behind and muttering to himself. She turned around and bounded over to the brown-pawed tom.

"What's wrong, Skypaw?"

His large blue eyes turned up to her, before his gaze fell back to his paws. Skypaw's face was filled with shame and worry. "Nothing…"

Graypaw stared for a moment, frowning. "I'm not a mousebrain, you know. Any cat with eyes could see something is wrong with you!"

Skypaw flinched. "Alright… it's just… This is the first gathering I've been to on Spiderpelt's recommendation, you know? I'm afraid I'll mess it up in front of him."

Every cat in ThunderClan knew that Spiderpelt, Skypaw's mentor, was critical. Spiderpelt wasn't harsh or unfair, though, so Graypaw had no idea why Skypaw was so worried. When she voiced this, Skypaw just shook his head.

"I know you're a pretty new apprentice, so you probably don't know this… but when your mentor just looks at you, disappointed, sometimes you wish he'd yell instead. I just know that's what Spiderpelt is going to do to me!"

Mildly indignant rage boiled through Graypaw's veins, partially because Skypaw was being so insecure. The other reason was that he had implied she didn't know anything… hadn't he?

The gray tabby snarled just a little bit, making Skypaw wince. "If you believe it, it will be so!"

Just like that, the anger drained from Graypaw's face, leaving her skin paler than before. Those weren't her words. It wasn't that she hadn't meant to say them. It was that she hadn't said them at all.

Sure, her lips had moved to them, but Graypaw had a feeling that that advice had not come just for Skypaw.

'_Stop using me as a puppet, Graystream!'_ She thought, racing away and leaving a rather shocked Skypaw in her wake. Although, Graypaw didn't know why she was inwardly talking to the cat in her mind. It wasn't like Graystream was able to talk back.

Graypaw stopped walking quickly once she was next to Scarletquake.

'_**Yes, I can talk back. It just uses energy.'**_

The tabby jumped into her mentor with a gasp, drawing curious stares from those nearby. Scarletquake asked no questions, only wrapping his tail around her middle as he walked.

**A/N**

**I hope that was understandable! It was difficult to write, truly. Next chapter… Gathering! And a few other interesting things… Okay, a message to whoever reads this story:**

**I like feedback. Please, tell me what's right and wrong with this story through a review!**


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